I think there is a place for government in all of this. We know historically, and even in contemporary times, that for things to move in the community, it has been indigenous women with no support who have created change and maintained change in our communities.
We have been carrying these issues for at least the last 50 years on our own, and now we need government, the bureaucracy, to support this change, because we can't do it on our own, obviously. When rules, policies and laws don't change, and the number of those who go missing and murdered continues to increase, we're not able to do this on our own. We need support from governments, bureaucracies, to invest in change and invest in safety.
We can start the alert now—and we must start it now—because women go missing. Summer for many people is a time of rest and respite, but those of us on the ground know that the number of relatives who go missing or are murdered increases with the temperature.
We can do that. People who want to talk some more can talk some more and work out whatever details or jurisdictional wrangling they may have, but we have to get it done now.